Rope climbing has long been a staple of fitness exercise. Rope climbing fitness is useful not only as an exercise to stimulate the cardiovascular system and upper body muscles, but rope climbing fitness is also useful to enable humans to maneuver upwardly over obstacles and in mountain climbing.
One of the major disadvantages in rope climbing, as with other types of exercise, is the safety factor. In order to improve significantly and at a more rapid pace, the capacity of the individual performing the exercise must be pushed to the limit. In sports like running, skipping rope, etc. when the participant becomes tired it is easy to simply cease the activity and immediately sit or lie down. As a result, the athlete can push himself to the point of exhaustion during each exercise period.
With rope climbing, and some other forms of exercise, the performance of the exercise to the point of exhaustion is extremely dangerous and in some cases fatal. The typical gymnasium rope climb consists of a fifteen to twenty foot rope which is attached to the rafters over a hard wood floor. The climber will typically climb as high as possible, with the object to touch the swivel connection at the top before coming down.
If the climber becomes exhausted while high off the floor, several negative possibilities can result. If the grip is completely lost, the climber can fall to the floor causing injury or death. If the grip cannot be maintained, the tendency is to wrap the rope through the legs or around the arm and slide down. Since most ropes are usually of rough material, including hemp or the like, a severe abrasion can occur.
In the case of a handicapped climber, the danger factor is further enhanced. Paraplegic climbers do not have the use of their legs to form a brake should they become exhausted while climbing. The failure of the climbing grip, or even a momentary hand entanglement would result in a straight fall.
As a result of both of the above factors, most rope climbers will not tend to push themselves to the point of exhaustion, and will approach the rope climbing activity conservatively. While this approach is practical given the surrounding circumstances, it does not permit the enhanced physical conditioning which is possible for the athlete, or which is extremely necessary to the soldier or rescue worker.
Further, one who is trained in a gymnasium configuration will only climb about ten to fifteen feet at one time. Repetition, by climbing up and down the rope will lead to increased conditioning, but not the type of conditioning that a longer rope would provide. On the other hand, a longer rope would exacerbate the danger factor, particularly where the object is to reach the top, and where a climber might push his endurance to reach such a goal, and become exhausted at a higher elevation.
Especially in the case of the soldier or rescue worker, a conditioning which teaches the body to climb for only ten or fifteen feet before a rest will leave the climber unprepared for longer lengths of sustained climbs.
Another problem with rope climbing in the gymnasium setting is the necessity for assistance at the lower end of the rope to hold it steady. Where the rope sways or swings, it can upset the natural pace of climbing of the rope. Since the purpose of gymnasium rope climbing is conditioning, the swaying of the rope will add an undesired effect which detracts from the goal of conditioning. Although actual conditions of climbing, battle, or rescue will need to be included in a soldier or rescuer's regimen, the swaying of a vertical rope during fitness training is usually not a condition which is desired to be constantly present.
In consideration of the above factors and limitations, what is needed is a device and method which will enable rope climbing in a safe and controlled manner. The method should encourage the climber to push his climbing skills to the limit without the fear of falling or rope burns and abrasions. The device should enable a longer continuous climb without the need to climb and re-climb a finite height of rope. The needed device and method should readily lend itself to tracking and measuring the progress and endurance of the climber. The needed device should not be subject to the sway and swing which would be encountered in the gymnasium setting and especially at the lower end of a long rope.